Ashes
by Ghuuunt
Summary: The Breach was considered a victory, but nobody expected the massive numbers of Grimm that would follow. Even the students of Beacon fight desperately to stop the onslaught without the help of the crippled Atlesian military. As the Grimm juggernaut presses onward, team RWBY is pushed to their limits. Contains White Rose and Bumblebee, already some d'awww moments.
1. Chapter 1

Obnoxiously loud rock music blared so loud that it seemed to be coming from everywhere, shaking Yang's brain in her skull. Her vision almost blurry, she clenched her teeth and pounded the wall.

"Ruby!" she screamed, trying to be heard over the din. "Turn it down!"

Her sister, across from her, was merely staring at the floor, elbows on knees, bobbing her head to the music. Yang, with the assistance of Ember Celica, pounded the wall again. Ruby looked up at Yang.

"What!?" she yelled.

"Turn it down!" Yang demanded, accompanied by wild gestures. Her sister obliged grudgingly.

"Seriously Yang, you're such a party pooper!" Ruby whined. "It's my turn to pick. It's at least better than when Weiss put on that weird opera music!"

"It's orchestral!" retorted her white-haired partner. She crossed her arms and shook her head. "That was absurdly loud. I could have brain damage, you dolt!" Ruby, used to Weiss and her berating, took the insult in stride.

"This is how I get prepared, guys! We all have our own ways, she replied, puffing her cheeks out.

"Well, the way you do it is absolutely atrocious" huffed Weiss. Upon seeing Ruby's crestfallen face, she relented. "I'm sorry, Ruby. That was unfair. We shouldn't be fighting over a stupid song." Ruby, unconvinced, gave Weiss a hurt look. The heiress let out a huff and crossed her arms. "Fine, not a stupid song. Just a… song. We have other things to worry about."

The rest of team RWBY nodded. This was the 5th day in a row they had been called by Vale's government to thin Grimm numbers by the city limits. Why, the beasts were nearly upon the walls! The failure of robotic soldiers had brought a staggering blow to the city. With a small reserve force of trained human soldiers, Hunters, and Huntresses, civilization and safety hung by a thread. Any men and woman fit for combat was being drafted into the military and sent to the front lines to fight Grimm. To die.

The Breach had first been considered a lucky miss, a victory. Nobody expected Grimm to be attracted in the numbers they were. Numbers that showed no signs of lessening or relenting. The small taste of blood in the air from the Breach was all they needed to be sent into a bloodlust for human flesh. The first wave had nearly destroyed the city. When the android soldiers were sent to combat the Grimm, the units failed across the board. Sabotage was suspected. A human, wanting this to happen? Even the White Fang, radicals and terrorists, fought Grimm. Anyone who did this had to be crazy, or genius. Maybe both.

So Team RWBY fought. Not alone. Their friends from Beacon, Signal, and regular soldiers all fought together against the black tide. The Hunters and Huntresses were used as elite troops, provided to the waning platoons the most in need.

A rumble sounded throughout the cabin. Ruby's stomach dropped as the Bullhead descended for a drop, engines protesting. As they drew closer to the ground, the hatch popped open, and the pilot called out to them.

"Alright, you're ready to go!" He said, giving them the A-O.K. sign with his hand.

Ruby dropped to the ground, falling to a crouch and unfolding Crescent Rose behind her. Her eyes scanned the battlefield. Yells, screams, and orders, as well as the clash of steel all mingled, vying for her attention. It was barely organized chaos, a ragged line of soldiers working together to fight hordes of Grimm. Behind them, mere hundreds of yards away, lay an endless field of tents. Occasional Grimm that breached the line were set upon by reserve soldiers, who primarily fired rifles into the roiling black mass that was the Grimm horde.

Ruby's eyes darted around, trying to find the most prominent threat. Just ahead of her, surrounded by a circle of armored city guards, was a large Beowolf. One of them stabbed at the monster's leg with a spear, and the beast reeled back, roaring in pain. It staggered, knocking one of the other guards over in the process. It fell to all fours, loaded its back legs, and sprang.

Ruby activated her semblance, blurring into movement. Her feet pounded against the ground as the grimm's jaws approached one of the men. Ruby pushed hard against the blood soaked dirt underneath her, launching into the air. She flipped to be parallel with the Grimm and extended her scythe behind her. She flew by the grimm like a bullet, feeling her scythe sink into hard muscle. Her momentum carried her in a circle around the creature's neck. She could feel sinews and skin slide off her honed blade, and as she fell back to the earth, she dropped beside a freshly decapitated grimm head. She landed in a kneeling position with one arm planted, the other holding Crescent Rose behind her. A moment later, the ground shook as the large Beowolf fell. She looked up, silver eyes already scanning for their next target.

Behind her, Yang had one of her hands grabbing the eyehole in an Ursa Major's bony mask while the other repeatedly slammed into the opposite eye. The grimm roared in pain, thrashing around, trying to dislodge its attacker, but Yang held on tightly. It tried a new tactic, and instead of swinging its head from side to side, it launched its body up and flicked it, bucking Yang off. She let out a loud _whoop_ as she was tossed into the air, her arms flailing for a moment. Then she grinned.

She tucked her knees to her chest until she was parallel to the ground and opened up, firing off Ember Celica. The grimm snarled as she rocketed towards it, her shotgun accelerated fist driving towards its head like a comet. Yang felt her gauntlet connect with it, and bone gave way to steel as it passed straight through the beast's head.

Weiss drifted away from the edge of the fray, making her way towards where a group of burly and well muscled men and women were standing with weapons bared, screaming and shouting orders. They had been trained well and years of experience made them excellent commanders, but in an assault like this, every extra pair of eyes was welcome.

Blake, now left alone, was set upon by a small pack of Creeps. The smaller grimm prowled around her in a circle, and Blake warily raised her hand to where Gambol Shroud rested on her back. She waited, slowly spinning as the circle got tighter until they were only a few feet from her. But Blake was patient, and then one of them lunged at her.

Blake jumped, leaving behind a shadow clone. The creep bit down on thin air as Blake fell towards it, Gambol Shroud drawn and primed to strike. She landed lightly on the ball of one foot atop the confused grimm. She cartwheeled, slashing across its back as she avoided the second creep that had leapt for where she had just been standing. The beast underneath her hissed in pain as it twisted around. It would have knocked Blake off had she not already left, flipping elegantly off its back and twisting, slashing before she could see the grimm that was aiming to bite her in the side. It got a cut across its face for its troubles.

Blake twirled again, collapsing Gambol Shroud as another creep jumped at her. She wondered if they would ever learn. She stuck the end of her chain scythe just under the grimm's jaw as it flew by, a simple sidestep having taken Blake out of harm's way.

She drew her sheath, sliding to her knees as a set of jaws closed just above her bow. She exploded up from the earth, bringing her blade up in a backhand slash and beheading the Creep. The three remaining grimm began circling her again, wary now.

Blake gave a sly smile and pulled the trigger of Gambol Shroud, detonating the blade still lodged under the nearest one's head. The attached blade sliced through the creature's throat as it shot towards the Creep in front of Blake with pinpoint accuracy, impaling its eye.

Suddenly, three grimm had become one.

She turned towards the last one, which was slinking close to the ground, its glowing red eyes tracking her every movement. She flicked the handle of her whip and Gambol Shroud reassembled itself as a pistol. Blake levelled it at the creature's skull, which was tensed and ready to leap at the slightest twitch of a muscle.

A flicker of movement caught her eye, and Blake saw a young faunus that had been knocked into the dirt and was scrambling backwards as a small Taijitu buried its black head where he had been a fraction of a second before. The creep forgotten, Blake sprong to the young faunus' aid.

Weiss watched her teammates, a flicker of a smile ghosting across her face. But those three couldn't be everywhere at once. They would reinforce the line where they could but three people couldn't win a battle of this scale. Weiss turned her attention to the ebb and flow of the battle, looking for patterns in movement. The grimm attacks were unreasonable though, chaotic in nature. There was little that Weiss could learn from watching their ranks, she had to concern herself with the more human side of things.

Near where her team had entered, the troops had begun fighting with more zeal. That section of the line began to bulge forward, bubbling outward and fear gripped Weiss' chest. If they over extended, the Grimm might break through the sides and cut that entire section of forces off. If that happened, it was only a matter of time until they would be overwhelmed by the sea of black and bony beasts.

"Fall back!" Weiss shouted, a few of the other commanders giving her questioning looks, but reluctantly relaying the order. Bringing the line forward and pushing the Grimm back was the end goal, but it had to be controlled. Despite her order though, the grimm began pinching in on the edge of the bubble, forming two distinct failure points. Weiss pointed to the one on the left. "Go help them there, make sure the line doesn't buckle or break." She commanded, and the others took off towards the fault.

Unsheathing Myrtenaster, Weiss abandoned command, instead leaping forward to shore up the other point of potential failure.

"Team, my area is under high pressure. Need some help." She called out on the team radio, then turned back as towering Ursa, easily fifteen feet tall, scattered five men with one sweep of its massive claw, bellowing. Weiss did a handspring backward to avoid the attack, raising her hand to summon a red glyph in front of her. She swept her rapier up and then slashed down towards her hip, releasing a flurry of fiery crystals flying towards the beast. They pelted its dark fur, making it rear up and roar at the sky in pain. Weiss took a half step back, levelling Myrtenaster as the beast landed and growled menacingly. It charged, faster than Weiss was prepared for, forcing her to dive roll to the side. She came up, seeing the Ursa raising a claw to strike. She gave Myrtenaster a slight twist with her wrist, flicking the cylinder inside the guard, then cut upwards viciously. The ice dust trailed off her sword, giving it a glowing arc as it cut through the Ursa's chest, opening a thick gash. Frost spread outwards from the wound, constricting its muscles, and Weiss summoned a black glyph to pull her backwards, away from the threat.

Three soldiers, dressed in the traditional garb of the military, raced forward with raised swords. They descended on the beast, hacking away at, repeatedly skewering it. One of the men jumped off its hind leg and used his sword to dig into the Ursa's back. He grabbed its shoulder, hauled himself up so he was straddling its neck, then brought the blade down to separate its vertebrae. The beast went limp, falling forward, bring the man with him. His face was covered in dirt and grime, little beads of sweat leaving traces of clean skin behind. He looked up and locked eyes with the heiress, opening his mouth to give her his thanks.

A black ball of fur shot out from the maelstrom of combat beside them, and Weiss lost sight of the man as it collided with him, though she could hear his strangled scream before it was abruptly cut off. The other two soldiers raced to help their already doomed comrade as the Beowolf skittered to a halt a few feet away, its powerful jaws already tearing into soft flesh, little flecks of scarlet raining down around it.

Before the two remaining soldiers could reach them, more Beowolves leapt onto them. One of the men managed to roll away and avoid the three new sets of snapping jaws, but the other was not so lucky. Weiss sprang into action, raising her hand to summon a white glyph and dashing off it, her blade poised as she fell through the air. One of the grimm saw her and raised its head, growling. It was silenced when her rapier pierced through its throat and she brought it to the ground, pinning it by its neck in the dirt.

traced glyphs in the air, blasting it back with ice and fire until more men could finish the beast. A group of five men with pikes eventually spiked the hulk, bringing it down. However, as soon as the Ursa fell, a pack of Beowolves set upon them. Weiss brought her rapier to bear, and skewered one.

Her comrades fought bravely, but their weapons were not suited to fight this type of Grimm. The quick beasts got inside the range of their pikes, and they were done for. Just when they were about to retreat, a flash of rose petals filled the air, and the pack fell, bearing deep slashes. Ruby had come. Weiss followed her partner, fighting alongside her, until a yell got their attention. A soldier was on the ground, a hungry Beowolf above him. The two girls rushed to his aid, quickly dispatching the beast, then turned to the soldier.

"Here, let me help you up-" said Ruby, turning. She said nothing, but her mouth was a rictus of horror. The man's glassy eyes stared through her and beyond. His chest bore a deep gash, spilling and pooling blood all around him. He was dead. Weiss turned to her partner, averting her eyes. She had seen men die, but Ruby… she had always gone too fast to talk. What made her stop this time, one could only guess. Weiss quickly grabbed Ruby.

"Not now, Ruby. You can't do this. We have to fight." She shook her partner. "Ruby. Later. Now, we need to _help._ " Ruby nodded, taking a deep breath and semblance-dashing away. _Good,_ Weiss thought. _But what will I tell her? She thinks she can save everyone, but she can't! Dust, it'll tear her apart._ Weiss shook her head. She couldn't afford to think about it. _Just keep fighting,_ she reminded herself, joining back in the carnage.

The rest of the day, Weiss saw men torn apart, slashed, bitten, and crushed. Before, she had seen death, but not this much. Not up close. Especially seeing Ruby's reaction. Each soldier was not just a soldier, but a person. One who lived a full life, longer than she had. Cut short by some heartless, faceless monster. As the battle wound down, the numbers of Grimm thinned. As if by some unspoken consensus, the beasts suddenly ceased to fight, and retreated over the horizon, baying, howling, and screaming primal noises all the way.

* * *

Team RWBY boarded their Bullhead and made the journey back to Beacon, where the defense effort was spearheaded. Ruby barely made it into her seat before collapsing in exhaustion. There was a long silence as the aircraft pushed up into the air, leaving the front lines. Finally, Ruby spoke.

"There were even more." Her team nodded. The numbers of Grimm, instead of decreasing as the war dragged on, were growing ever larger. Not just that, the seemingly dumb animals were learning. Evolving. Instead of attacking humans head on, they tested the areas of least resistance, spreading forces thin. The thought of the line breaking haunted the girls.

"We can't do everything. If my soldiers hadn't pushed forward, we wouldn't have needed to waste time keeping them alive. They need better training! The men fighting are almost kids, now," exclaimed Weiss. The other three didn't respond, but they all knew. People had died today, good people, people with families. Could they have prevented some of them? Any of them? Responsibility was a heavy burden to carry. Ruby looked hit especially hard. They had never fought this hard before. The Grimm were relentless, and deaths of the soldiers didn't effect the beasts. Ruby, however, couldn't handle being surrounded by dying soldiers. Blake, Weiss, and Yang all knew why she skirted around the medics, why she used her semblance to dash away before she could see the face of who she helped.

Team RWBY was doing good work, but they were being worn thin. Weiss saw her partner's downcast eyes, and took her hand. Giving a light squeeze, Weiss whispered, "It'll be okay."

Ruby just nodded and rested her head on Weiss' shoulder. Closing her eyes, she was asleep in seconds. They were all tired from today's combat. Yang raised her head, flicking hair out of her eyes.

"We can't keep this up much longer," she remarked with a sigh. "Eventually, one of us will slip up, and then… we'll be just like the regular soldiers." Weiss cut Yang off with one hand, the other stroking Ruby's hair.

"Enough with the negative talk. This will be resolved by the end of the week. Let's just take it one day at a time." She whispered, careful not to wake the girl slumbering contentedly on her shoulder.

"But what if this doesn't end soon? We're talking war, war that Remnant hasn't seen for… forever!" Yang whispered back.

"If this doesn't end…" Weiss sighed. She looked at Ruby, a rare smile gracing her lips, but not for long.

"If this doesn't end…

Dust help us."

* * *

Team RWBY lay in their respective bunk beds, resting uneasily for the practically certain fight the following day.. Yang played a game on her scroll, Blake read, Weiss reviewed troop movements, and Ruby was asleep. Yang finished the game on her scroll, flamboyantly flinging it in victory.

"Sweet! That does it for me, see ya in the morning," called Yang, as she threw her covers over herself and turned over in her bed. Blake closed her book, scanned the room, then resumed her reading. Weiss turned off her scroll, eyes stinging from the glaring white screen. Peeking her head out from her bottom bunk, she noticed Ruby's red cloak hanging off the edge. She swung her legs out of bed, standing in her ice-blue nightgown. Scaling the ladder she had placed there for her use, Weiss came upon a strange sight. Ruby's legs and cloak stuck out from a mountainous heap of covers, all of which were piled on Ruby's back. Weiss climbed fully up the ladder, diving into bed next to Ruby.

"That doesn't look very comfortable," remarked Weiss with a grin as she observed the jumble of limbs before her. Ruby had her hood on with her face in the mattress. Her only response was a muffled grunt, which, while it may have been intended to be words, sounded like "Mrrrflaffffbblllf."

Weiss stifled a giggle, shimmying closer to Ruby. Ruby popped her face out of the mattress, facing away from Weiss. "Not tonight, Weiss, I'm tired…" Weiss was confused for a second, then it dawned on her.

"Ruby, please! I wouldn't even think about it. I was just… uh, cold. Yeah, I was cold, and I need my girlfriend to warm me up." Weiss shimmied closer. She and Ruby were almost touching now. Weiss reached to the mountain of covers and knocked it over, taking a blanket and making sure she was covered, then extending it as a peace offering to Ruby. Upon touching her shoulder, Ruby turned over, silver eyes peeking out from her hood.

"Hey." she murmured.

"Hey." Weiss whispered back. In these troubling times, sometimes a little cuddle was all you needed. Ruby's eyes were beautiful, mesmerising. Weiss could see her own face in those eyes. A child's face. Yet, here they were, fighting a war. Weiss smiled bitterly. She laid a hand on Ruby's cheek, surprised to find tears. "Ruby, what's wrong?" Weiss asked, concern filling her voice.

"I'm just tired, ya know?" replied Ruby sadly. Weiss thought about the battle earlier, to the mangled bodies of the dead.

"Yes, Ruby. I know." Weiss lifted the hood from Ruby's head, stroking her dark hair. Ruby's gray orbs stared past her, a thousand-yard stare in a 20 foot room.

"When my mom… disappeared… I was scared. Dad told me and Yang that there was nothing to worry about, that she was late all the time. But we knew. We saw the fear in his eyes, that dread, that voice that screamed all the worst that could happen straight in your ear. After a day went by, when I was going to bed, I made an offering. I broke open my piggy bank, and brought out 10 Lien. I tucked it under my mom's pillow. I don't know why. It was an offering to Remnant, to give me my mom back. She never got those 10 Lien." Ruby's voice finally cracked, and she let out a sob before continuing. Tears flowed freely down her face, etching paths in her pale face.

"I just think of all the little kids out there, wanting their moms and dads back, putting–" Ruby took a ragged breath. "putting Lien under their pillow, waiting for them to come back!" Ruby was wailing now, screaming. Weiss looked behind her at her teammates, but they were content to let her handle matters. Weiss was shocked. She had never seen Ruby like this, had never heard her story. She just kept stroking the girl's hair.

"I'm here for you, Ruby. I'll never leave you." Weiss whispered, trying to reassure the emotional wreck in front of her.

"How do you know?" Ruby spat. She sniffled, wiping her nose. Weiss conjured a handkerchief, wiping Ruby's tear-streaked face.

"I just do, Ruby. I love you." Weiss took Ruby's chin, looking her in the eye. "I will never leave you, no matter what." Ruby's face was screwed up in a mix of anger, confusion, and despair.

"You don't know that! You say that, but you _don't know!_ You act all grown up, but you're scared like me! Like the rest of us! You're scared to death!" Ruby sobbed. She buried her head in Weiss' shoulder.

"Everything works out the way it's supposed to," Weiss reassured. Ruby didn't speak, merely bawled into her partner's shoulder. So Weiss made herself comfortable, while her love cried herself to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: There it is, the first chapter of what I hope to be many. Special thanks to** **Unjax and Raquz, my partners in crime for this particular story. Hopefully we can churn out a chapter a week. Thank you for reading, feel free to follow/fav/review if you want to see more:**

 **White Rose!**

 **Bumblebee!**

 **Arkos!**

 **and much, much more…**

 **See ya!**


	2. Chapter 2

Yang groaned as she threw her sheets off, trying to blink sleep out of her eyes. The hardwood floor of their room was chilly, but Yang didn't mind. She was too tired to care. Their schedule had gotten so messed up that team RWBY only got to sleep a few hours each day, and always at irregular and inconsistent times. Yang checked her scroll. Six at night. She reached her arms above her head and bent her spine, stretching and letting out a loud yawn.

This was the most peaceful wake up she had had in weeks.

Normally, Yang was awoken by the loud blaring of the alarm bell or a personal page to her team. So, waking up at dinner time actually seemed quite pleasant and normal. Yang let out a soft smile as a thought crossed her mind. This was the first time she had free time, and she knew exactly how she wanted to spend it.

She hopped to her feet and twisted in the air to land facing her bunk. She stepped up onto her bed so that she could peer up at the sleeping face of Blake.

Her porcelain skin had a few streaks of dirt marring it, but the elegant curves of her features warmed Yang's heart to the very core. Her shapely legs were half tucked under a thin white sheet, and she was wearing a black tank top. For the first time in a while, her ears were free from their bow. They quivered slightly in her sleep.

Yang's smile grew a little. Her girlfriend's face was completely peaceful, devoid of any worry or concern. The second that Blake woke, started thinking again, remembered where they were in the world, what was happening, the intensity would return. Blake was never one to back down. Yang resented that a bit as she shook Blake's shoulder lightly.

Amber irises opened to find lilac staring back at them, and a smile grew across her face.

"Better than an alarm, isn't it?" Yang asked with a wink. Blake got an elbow under her and grabbed her scroll, checking the time.

"It's too early. Six o'clock is too early."

"Well, maybe later, you can have a catnap."

A blank stare was all Yang got for that. She shrugged.

"Come on, I want to go for a walk."

* * *

Blake felt Yang's fingers brush against hers as they walked through the abandoned garden near Beacon's main courtyard. It was a silent question, permission for her to take Blake's hand. Blake didn't like being too affectionate in public, but here, isolated, she didn't mind, so she grabbed Yang's hand in her own and they slowly walked through the flowers in full bloom. It felt solid and tangible. Blake stroked the back of Yang's hand lightly.

"We shouldn't be doing this." Blake finally voiced the thought gnawing away at the back of her mind as she looked through the empty pathway. Since the world had gone to hell, no one had time for the flowers anymore. Why should she?

"We need time for ourselves, otherwise we'll burn out. We can't help anyone if we get ourselves killed."

"We're stronger than that. We have to be."

"No one's that strong. Everyone needs to rest. Everyone has limits."

"I don't know if we can afford those anymore." Blake mumbled, reaching up to cup a nightshade's blossom, feeling its familiar texture. They had always been her favourite. Part of her loved this, spending time with Yang, alone in a garden. It was a moment to forget the rest of the world, but right now the world was burning.

"Blake…" Yang's voice was full of worry as it trailed off, a thought unfinished.

"Why is it so important to you that I stop?" She asked, unable to keep the edge of irritation from creeping into her voice.

"Isn't it obvious?" Yang asked, her eyes downcast. Blake looked at her surprised. Yang looked vulnerable, like a doe skittering in the gaze of a wolf.

"Yang?" She inquired, not fully understanding. Yang pulled on Blake's hand and brought her swinging around so they were face to face, and suddenly Yang's lips were on her own.

She tasted like honey and vanilla, and Blake's eyes fluttered shut of their own accord. Blake didn't think she'd ever get tired of kissing Yang. Her tongue whispered against Blake's lips, and she parted them, granting her girlfriend access. Their tongues swirled together, and Blake felt Yang press herself more forcefully against her chest.

Normally kissing Yang was peaceful, calm, and flowed smoothly and naturally. This one was different though. It was heated and Yang was grasping at her desperately, almost as if she were afraid to ever let go. Blake pulled back slightly, but Yang followed her, taking charge and pressing Blake's back up against an oak tree. Blake moaned into her girlfriend's lips slightly at the authoritative movement, and Yang took this as a sign to press on. Their tongues wrestled against one another's, and Yang ran her hands through Blake's hair. Blake let herself give in for a moment, pulling Yang's waist against her, eradicating any space between them. She enjoyed the sensation, vanilla and honey filling her senses as Yang's fingertip grazed her ear, making it twitch involuntarily. Yang's hands slid back to Blake's face, cupping her cheeks as Yang drew out one last, long kiss before pulling away slightly.

"I-" She broke off, gasping a little for breath. "I need to know I have this to come back to. I need you Blake. I want to make sure that when everything is said and done, and the world goes back to normal and everything is peaceful, that you're there with me. I know it's selfish, but is it enough that I want you here for you to take a break?"

Blake paused, shocked.

 _Was_ it enough.

"Yang, I… why…"

"Blake, please."

Blake just stood there, with her mouth open. The weight of the moment bore down on her. She couldn't deny that she wanted to, that the prospect of spending a day alone with Yang, sheltered and isolated from the horrors around them, excited her. Just talking over their worries, and being together. They could stay in the garden for a bit longer, having fun and speaking to each other. They could go out and have lunch together, eat some bonbons and relax.

But the memories of Vale were seared into her mind... The countless people who were being run down by the creatures of Grimm, the screams and the sights of the citizens being ripped apart by the monsters. The feeling of being unable to save any of them when they were so close to her - that crushing helplessness. She remembered several of the people that survived some of the attacks, the way they all seemed devoid of hope… How lost they all looked, just wandering around the camp, without any motivation to do anything. The screams of the children, the mothers that had lost their children, fathers crying out in anguish as they held the bloodied faces of their recently passed, numerous strangers asking for the location of their loved ones, their friends, their families - many of whom would never be found. The looks of absolute grief on their faces when they had to be told their lost one would never come back to them, the despair that arose from them as they screamed at the hunters, yelling it was their fault. Because it was always their fault. They never did enough; their best couldn't come close to what it had to be. If she chose to be selfish right now, there would be more and more of those people, and they would have failed their task as huntresses. She was already failing, what kind of monster would it make her if she gave up on them now in favour of what? A day of relaxation? Why should she get to rest at the expense of human and faunus blood?

"We have a mission, and people entrust us to do it. We can't just leave them behind… I need to go. I'll see you at the Bullhead." Blake broke away from Yang briskly..

Blake strutted away from Yang and headed straight for the landing strip. Yang just stood there, something between sorrow, grief and fear swimming in her lilac eyes.

"You can't possibly keep this up." Yang whispered when she thought her girlfriend was out of earshot. But Blake heard with her sensitive ears and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. This wasn't the first time they had had a talk that had ended with Blake storming away.. She had a job though, they all did, and that task was more important than any of them and what they wanted. As much as she didn't like it, when weighing her relaxation against the thousands of citizens in Vale, there was little real choice.

So Blake walked to the bullhead and hauled herself in quickly, deftly putting the straps from her seat on, heedless of the interruption she had just made to Weiss and Ruby.

* * *

Ruby looked over at Weiss sitting stiffly in the bullhead. Ruby had sent a message to Blake on her scroll a few minutes ago which meant they wouldn't be there for a while longer, but at Weiss' insistence **,** she and Ruby had still come straight to the bullhead.

Weiss' hair was unkempt, and Ruby knew that the heiress would never have let herself look anything less than immaculate had she the choice. Unfortunately, they had been rushed, as was quickly becoming the norm for them. And that worried Ruby.

She knew they needed to work hard, now more than ever. She remembered what the relentless Grimm attacks had done to Mountain Glenn, and she also knew that Vale had nowhere to fall back to if it was breached. They couldn't let that happen, but Ruby couldn't shake an uneasy feeling. Her team was getting burned out. They were tired going into each fight now, and everyone was tense. Blake and Yang had been fighting a lot, and Weiss had deep shadows under her eyes. Her skin looked thin and transparent, her cheeks hollow.

Guilt and apprehension clenched in Ruby's stomach. It pained her to see Weiss like that. She hadn't been eating enough or sleeping enough. Each day it got worse and worse, and the little voice in the back of Ruby's mind got more and more pronounced:

 _What if something happens to her?_

Ruby dipped her hand into one of the front pockets of her belt, withdrawing the small silver object within, no longer than her index finger. It was a narrow cross with flared tips and two grooves running to the center from each extremity, not too dissimilar from the pair that attached her cloak to her corset. There was a small loop at the top, through which a delicate argentine chain was hooked.

"Weiss," She called softly. The other girl turned towards her, her glacial eyes flashing slightly in the light of the sun, just beginning its descent. Usually, the red tinge was exclusive to the later hours of the day when the sun kissed the horizon just before twilight, but now with the smoke sitting heavily in the air from the burnt fields and defenses it was permanently stained a somewhat bloody color.

Ruby held the cross to Weiss.

" Here, I wanted to give you this before we went out again," She said quietly.

"What's this for?" asked Weiss, exasperated slightly but still reaching forward to gently take it.

"It was my mother's. She gave it to me before she left the last time. She told me that no matter what happened, it would keep me safe." She let out a soft laugh. "I used to be so scared of the dark, but nights seemed a little brighter after that. It worked for me so far, and there's no one I want to stay safe more than you.",

"Ruby," Weiss looked down at the petite necklace. She undid the clasp and reached it around her neck. "Thank you, but why now?"

"My mother gave it to me before she went on her most dangerous mission. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure we all make it through this, and I know you can take care of yourself, but this is only going to get worse from now on. This is something I can do to help make sure you come out of this alright. It's small, but if it helps at all, it's worth it.."

"Thank you,." Weiss repeated, reaching forward and taking Ruby's hand. Ruby smiled, feeling her girlfriend's thumb run over the ridges of her knuckles. "I just wish I had something to give you."

"How about a kiss for good luck?" Ruby suggested with a cheeky smile. Weiss gave her a glare, but then rolled her eyes and leaned forward.

"Fine. But you only get one." She whispered when her lips were an inch from Ruby's own. Her heart thumped a bit louder in her chest, and her pulse quickened. It was just a brief peck, but Ruby grinned as they pulled apart.

"There, now we've both got some extra luck." Weiss smiled thinly, one of the few times she had in the past weeks. She reached up and fingered her new accessory. She had never been given a family heirloom before.

Ruby's attention was pulled to the side as she saw Blake storming towards the bullhead. Yang followed fifty feet behind her, and her shoulders were held stiffly. Ruby sighed. They had been fighting again. Ruby hadn't wanted to get involved, preferring to let them sort it out on their own, but she was beginning to think she might have to have a talk with Yang. They were stretched thin as it was, and they didn't need any more stress at the moment.

She signaled the pilot as Blake rushed into the plane, sitting down roughly and strapping in. The ship thrummed slightly as the engines started up. The roaring of the engines grew to a peak as Yang hopped on board, and no sooner was she sitting down were they off the ground.

The bullhead had not been Ruby's favourite at first. It was old and smelt of rust and engine oil. The seats were hard and uncomfortable, and it was very, very loud. She didn't much care anymore though. It was part of the routine now. Wake up, bullhead, fight, bullhead, sleep. It was monotonous and repetitive, but it was what they needed to do in their part to help stem the tides of the encroaching sea of black.

Ruby brought Crescent Rose up from under her seat as the pilot flew them out towards the walls that surrounded Beacon, checking the various bolts and hinges. She knew her scythe was in perfect working order, but there was only so much she could do to alleviate the nerves that ran through her body. She checked her spare cartridges, made sure everything was topped up, checked her trigger to make sure it was well oiled, checked her cartridges again…

"Check our six! I've got a signal from back there!" The yell came through the hatch, and Ruby perked up. The pilot was shouting at her from the cockpit, and she frowned. They were still a few minutes' flight from the edge of the city, it was probably just another plane. Nonetheless, she shucked her harness and made her way to the open bay door of the dust plane. She grabbed the guard rail.

A deafening screech pierced the sky, and Ruby instinctively covered her ears, stumbling backwards. When it passed, she leapt forward and stuck her head out of the door. She looked back behind her, and her stomach sank.

The black mass was so large it almost looked like a cloud. Its razor sharp feathers and bone plating betrayed it though. Burning red eyes were locked on its prey and gleaming talons were poised to snap forward at any moment.

"Nevermore!" She shouted at the others who were waiting for her word to unharness. She saw shock pass over their faces briefly before they refocused.

"What the hell is it doing this far in city? They should just be on the fringes."

"Widespread panic," Weiss suggested, coming up next to Ruby. "The citizens must be more concerned than we thought.

"Ice flower!" Ruby ordered, unfolding Crescent Rose. The creature screeched again and dove at them. "Left!" Ruby shouted at the cockpit, but the pilot was already ahead of her. He yanked on the joystick, making the four of them stumble as they tumbled to the side. She saw black feathers swoop by mere feet outside the window.

"Let's slow it down." Weiss said, grabbing Ruby's elbow to steady herself and raising her hand. Four glyphs appeared on the outside of the door, and Ruby aimed down the middle of them. A moment later, she saw a trace of black on the edge of her vision, and shot.

The dust round streaked through the air, the ice from Weiss' glyphs shooting off behind it like a comet's tail. Ruby looked out from her scope to watch the round slam into its back. Ice crystals sprouted from its back in a flash, and Ruby grinned a bit at the hit. But the grimm didn't slow down. Trying to hit it with ice whilst flying through the air was impractical - they'd only get a shot off once or twice a minute.

"Blake, Yang, unload on it." There was a click and whirring and the two prepared their weapons, but Ruby didn't see it. She was already scoped in on the thing's head. It looped up to the sky, presumably getting ready to swoop back at them again. She found its eye and lined it up with the second notch to the left of her scope, trailed its head, making sure the shot would land, and squeezed the trigger.

The dust tore through the grimm's eye socket and it let out a sharp caterwaul, spinning through the air. Ruby let out a whoop and pumped her fist as Yang and Blake unloaded their clips into the beast. Rings of red and yellow exploded against the creature, sending waves of fire over its dark feathers. Ruby's excitement dimmed as it flapped its wings, unperturbed, and began to turn on them again.

"Weiss?" She asked, hoping her partner knew what to do.

Three white glyphs appeared between the airship and the charging Grimm. Weiss braced herself, bringing her arms in front of herself as though to shield her and staggering her stance. The Nevermore barreled into the first glyph, and Weiss' knees buckled slightly beside Ruby. She recovered, and then it smashed into the second. Weiss staggered back, and Ruby heard a sharp inhale through gritted teeth.

"Hold on!" She encouraged, but Weiss didn't hear her. She just grimaced as the Grimm cut into the third glyph. This time it slowed noticeably, but Weiss lost control. The glyph buckled under the beast's pressure and just as Weiss fell to the side, breathing heard.

Ruby raised her gun, training to aim it at the Nevermore's other eye. It was coming fast though, and Ruby couldn't get a clear shot off. She was too far zoomed in. There was a detonation to her side, and Gambol Shroud flew forward, striking the creature dead in its ear.

The Nevermore bucked as Blake wrenched on her chain scythe, sending it off kilter. It started to twist and fall through the air, its balance ruined, screeching the whole way. Ruby thought it would miss them and pass right under them.

But it could still see. It remaining red eye bore into them. The Nevermore flapped its wings, and though it was off kilter, it set the airborne creature on course to crash into them. Yang was unloading her gauntlets into its face, and Ruby followed suit, firing without her sights. Their bullets bounced off its bone plating though and it was closing in. Fifty feet, fourty, thirty…

"Ruby!" Weiss' voice broke her concentrated firing as Ruby spared a glance at her partner. "Get closer."

Ruby nodded and activated her semblance. She blurred to behind Blake and Yang who were still firing furiously and grabbed their waists, hauling backwards so they all sprawled next to Weiss. She looked to the cockpit, started to stand.

Ice grew around them all, encasing Ruby in a hardened shell.

 _No!_ she panicked, she had to get to him. They had-

 _ **Whoom!**_

The bullhead was ripped apart, shrapnel flying all over. Ruby couldn't see anything, ensnared as she was, but she could hear the squeal of metal as it was shredded and the buckle of reinforced steel.

And she could hear a scream- the pilot - before they were falling too far away to hear anything else.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading everyone! As always, thanks to all my partners, this wouldn't be possible without you guys. This has been a blast to write, and I can't wait to see what you think when things really ramp up.**

 **Follow/fav/review of you wish to see more feels!**

 **See ya next time everyone!**


	3. Chapter 3

Yang coughed, her entire body convulsing as her stomach contracted violently. Her eyes snapped open and she sucked in a heavy breath, gasping hard. The world was black, and something was pinning her arm, cutting off the circulation and degrading all feeling to naught but pins and needles. Yang rolled over and tried to move it, but whatever was on her arm was weighing her down considerably. She grunted, reaching under it with her opposite arm, registering for the first time the it was smooth and very, very hot. Something sticky met her fingers, and Yang closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

They had crashed. Alright. They had crashed, and now her arm was stuck underneath part of the plane. Presumably, she was covered by other miscellaneous shrapnel, blocking out the sun. And she was bleeding.

 _Alright Yang,_ She thought morosely. _Gotta get your arm out._

She slid her hand under the metal beside her stuck arm and pulled. The metal stayed firmly locked in place, but the area where she pulled buckled ever so slightly. Yang grinned. She knew how she would get free.

She yanked on it again, throwing her previous, testing, caution to the wind. The alloy moved more this time, freeing up some space for her arm to wiggle around. She pulled again, and again, the metal warping a little each time, giving her more and more room. She had one task: free her arm; so she pulled and pulled and pulled. As it came loose, she bent the metal back, releasing some of her forearm. She ran her hand over her sticky skin, feeling a three inch gash across her arm where the edge of the metal had bitten through to muscle.

Ignoring the injury for the moment, Yang gave a herculean heave, pulling the scrap back far enough for her to free her arm. She tried to move her fingers, but the circulation had yet to return to her hand, and it stayed limp. Yang sighed, then flicked her wrist to unravel Ember Celica. She took a deep breath, pulled her arm back, and detonated the gun.

Her fist smashed through the metal, sending it flying and Yang rolled out quickly before the wreckage on top of her could fall and crush her. A moment later it smashed down where she had been a split second before. Using her good hand, she got to her knees, then finally and rubbing her eyes. She inspected the crash site around her. The front half of the Bullhead was mostly intact, but the back half – where team RWBY had been – was gone. Fallen red leaves mingled with shards of twisted metal, smoking where they lay. Yang's violet eyes swept the ground around her, searching for her teammates, for the pilot, for-

Ruby.

Her sister's signature red cloak lay covering the girl, sprawled on the ground amidst the wreckage. Her sister's body was strewn about like some broken doll, certainly unconscious, and definitely hurt. Yang limped over to Ruby, fear gripping her stomach like a vice. She slid to her knees as she came to rest by her sister, and putting a hand on Ruby's shoulder, Yang shook her lightly, trying to rouse her.

"Ruby? Hey, Ruby, wake up." Yang rolled her onto her back, exposing her face. It was dirty and bloody, covered in soot, and too, too pale.

"Ruby? C'mon sis, wake up." Yang shook her again. Her heart slamming in her chest like the beats of a stampede of wild horses, Yang tried again, shaking her sister a little more roughly.

"Come on!" She half-sobbed, half-yelled. She scanned the rest of her body, until she found a piece of metal embedded within Ruby's thigh.

"Shit," Yang muttered, looking for other wounds. "No, no, no…"

Dried blood was caked around the twisted steel. _How long was I out?_ wondered Yang, as she took hold of the shrapnel. "Alright, Rubes, this'll only hurt for a little," she said, starting to pull. She steeled herself for the inevitable gush of blood. "3...2...1…"

"Fuck, I can't do this. Fuck!" She pounded the ground with Ember Celica. Her weapon shook the ground, but did little to wake the unconscious girl..

"Come on Ruby," Yang muttered, her breaths coming short and fast. "Just wake up… Please just wake up."

"Wake up!" She screamed finally, losing all semblance of composure. She shook Ruby's shoulders again, desperately and violently, and she saw a glint of silver peek out from under a lazy eyelid.

"Hey, sis." Yang said, smiling with relief. Ruby's too-pale face smiled back at her.

"Hey." Ruby replied hoarsely. "We made it."

"Yeah. Sit tight, let me get something for you." Yang said, pointing out Ruby's gash. Ruby's eyes slowly moved down, until they rested on the foreign object in her leg.

"Oh my Dust. Oh, no, no, no…" Ruby put a hand over her mouth, but couldn't prevent the fear from sliding into her eyes.

"You're fine! Just stay put, I'll take care of you, okay?" Yang reassured. She brushed Ruby's hair. "You're fine. I'll be right back. I love ya." She stood and walked away with hollow eyes. _Will she be okay?_

Yang trudged back to the cockpit. Maybe there were medical supplies there. While walking, Yang heard a shrill voice.

"Ruby? Yang, Blake? Anyone? UGH, where are you guys?" Weiss' shrill voice shrieked, almost as if they had done some great injustice and inconvenience to her by not being conscious.

"Here," Yang sighed. The heiress did not sound happy.

"Yang? Where's Ruby? Is she alright?"

"She there," Yang indicated the fallen cloak.

Weiss stormed over to where Ruby lay. If she had sustained any wounds, it didn't show.

"Ruby? Are you okay?" she called.

Ruby merely responded with a grunt.

"What is that supposed to mean? Are you–oh...oh Dust…" Weiss covered her mouth with her hand at the sight of Ruby's injury. She reached out a hand, but didn't touch Ruby.

Ruby shook her head.

"Really, Weiss, it's fine," she croaked, holding a hand out to her. Weiss took her hand like a snowflake, careful not to press too hard, or it might melt.

Yang rummaged through medical supplies, wishing she had actually paid attention in class. She'd never run out of Aura so much she actually got hurt, and now she wished she had.

"Weiss! Can you come over here!" Yang called.

"Why?" Weiss responded.

"Um, I need your help… what here can help Ruby?"

"Ugh!" Yang heard a cry of frustration, and Weiss stormed over. She rooted through the chest for a few seconds, then withdrew a roll of gauze and a small ampoule. Walking back to Ruby, Weiss wrapped the embedded metal with the gauze, stabilising the wound for movement. She was about to get Yang to help her up when Blake emerged from the trees, shirt torn and a rag tied around her forehead.

Yang bolted from where she sat and rushed over to Blake.

"Blake! What happened?" She asked, but Blake just waved her away.

"Cut on my head. No big deal." she muttered.

And there it was. That intensity, that _weight,_ haunted Blake's golden eyes. She bore it with bravery, but the toll was obvious.

"I activated the emergency beacon. We should get rescue soon." Weiss commented, still fussing with Ruby's dressing.

"What happened?" asked Blake in a monotone.

"Ruby got hurt. A piece of shrapnel looks like it impaled her leg." Weiss responded, worriedly glancing around.

Ruby clenched her teeth, putting her hands over her ears.

"Don't say thaaaat," she moaned.

Suddenly, the roar of engines assaulted the girls' ears. A Bullhead swooped over their heads… and continued towards the battlefield.

"Hey! Hey!" Yang screamed, waving her hands and jumping in the air. "Come back! HEY!" she punctuated her cry for help with a firing of Ember Celica.

"Shut up, Yang!" Weiss yelled, stomping over and shoving the blonde. It wasn't enough to push her over, but Yang stumbled back.

"What did you just say to me?" she asked, eyes turning red.

"We just fell out of the sky, Yang. You shouldn't be attracting Grimm." Weiss reasoned.

"Oh, yeah? And I shouldn't be trying to _fucking save us_? I was calling for help, _princess_!" Yang yelled back. She hadn't called Weiss princess since they first met.

"Guys… stop…" Ruby whispered, but Yang cut her off.

"Stay out of this, Ruby!" She turned to Weiss. "Do you have a problem–"

"I activated the emergency beacon, you idiot!" Weiss retorted.

"Don't call me that." Yang muttered. She cocked back her weapon.

Weiss bore a look of extreme shock and fear. "Yang, _me_? Yang, we're… teammates…" The terror in her eyes was contrasted by the red fury in Yang's.

Yang took a step.

"Yang, please…" Yang took a step, and then the world turned to a roar.

A white Bullhead swooped into their clearing, engines screaming. The wind whipped up by the craft caused the four to shield their eyes.

As it descended to let the girls in, Weiss breathed a sigh of relief. They had come close, too close, to a fight. It's not like it never happened; Yang argued with her all the time. But it had never been this bad. Yang had never looked like that.

Yang and Weiss helped carry Ruby to the Bullhead, Blake silently following. They waved to the pilot, and in moments they were back on their way to Beacon.

* * *

Ruby lay in the infirmary, shrapnel removed, recovering. She'd been given dozens of drugs to help speed the healing, and was expected to be fighting in days. The cocktail of chemicals kept her sleeping most of the time, but there were moments of lucidity.

Weiss sat on the chair next to her, bags under her eyes. She perked up when Ruby made a sound and opened her eyes.

"Hey there," Weiss whispered, leaning in to stroke Ruby's hair. "How are you?"

"Thirsty," Ruby croaked, smiling up at her partner. Weiss walked to the sink and filled up a glass.

"There. Drink it and get better." Weiss commanded. A chime sounded from her scroll, and she cursed under her breath.

"Ruby, I'm sorry, Yang just got off her patrol. I have to go back. I'm sorry. I…" _I love you,_ Weiss wanted to say, but didn't. She turned away and shut the door, unable to look Ruby in the eye.

This war was tearing them all apart.

Meanwhile, Yang was on her way to Ruby's infirmary room, a little happier than usual. Blake had only needed a few stitches, and there was no concussion, so hopefully she was okay. Hopefully. It was selfish, but Yang wished they were all in the infirmary. They'd been fighting for so long, and eventually…

Yang gulped and shook her head free of the thought, pushing open the doors to infirmary. When she entered, Ruby was staring at the wall with a blank look.

Ruby glanced up at her sister, her guardian.

"Yang, I don't wanna die," she whispered. Yang's eyes widened, and her mouth opened to say soothing words, but nothing came out.

 _Ruby must have really got spooked. That reminds me, I should maybe say sorry to Weiss._

"Ruby…" Yang paused, knowing how hollow her words would sound. They had come dangerously close to death. "Ruby… everything's gonna be fine."

"You don't know that." Ruby murmured. "Nobody knows that. In the assemblies, Ozpin tell us it's fine, but then we go out and, and, and…" Ruby gulped down air. She was almost hyperventilating. "And people are _dying,_ Yang! And we can't do anything about it! And you say it'll be okay, but you _don't know_ , Yang, you don't, you don't…" Ruby burst into tears, sobbing into her white pillow.

Yang rushed over and cradled her sister in her arms.

"Shh, calm down, Ruby, calm down…" she soothed, careful not to say those fateful words people used so carelessly. _It'll all be okay._

Yang shook her head, bitter tears threatening to stream from her violet eyes. _Why are we fighting? We're just kids…_

Yang looked at the clock, at the ticking of its hands, and realized a profound but obvious truth.

 _Ruby, we all die._

 _It's just a matter of when._

 **A/N: Muhaha, did you think I was gone? Yeah, so, some stuff happened.**

 **School started, and the four of us working on the project gradually lost steam until we ground to a halt about a paragraph into chapter 3. I reached out a couple of times, but it was pretty obvious that we didn't have much free time. I worked on my own for a little, but then lost passion and abandoned it, until… like a week ago. I just got on and started writing, and I'm… proud? of what I did.**

 **Anyway, sorry that this chapter is short, has some mistakes, isn't written as well as the other ones, etc. I can't find for the life of me a beta reader that I trust and is active, and of course my colleagues have dropped off.**

 **Speaking of which, if you guys are reading this, I'm not mad. I would love it if we could talk though.**

 **Additionally, if any of you are interested in helping me out (spelling, grammar, beta reading in general), I would love that. This is a big project, and although I have a clear idea of where I want to go, this fic sometimes get a little too big for just me.**

 **Anyway, that's it for me. Here's to hoping this fic continues. I love all of you who have supported this.**


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